Apparatus for cleaning tanks



Oct. 29,1935.

A. B. BUTTERWQRTH APPARATUS FOR CLEANING TANKS Filed Jan. 10, 1931 wwlPatented Oct. 1935 I UNITED STATES aura-:51

g 7 -msaa'ros roa creams 'rauxs Arthur B. Butterwortli, Brooklyn, N. 1.,assignor toButterworth SystennIn o.,-a corporation of ApplicationJanuary 1c, 1931'. Serial No. 501,778

, a '1 claim. (01. 210-43) This invention relates -to'the-cleaning oftanks of tank ships, tank carsiand the like, which have become encrustedwith oil scale or other material.

g The invention will be fully understood from. the following descriptiontaken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which latter- Flg.1 is a side elevation of one form v41 cleaning device; w

10 Fig. 2 is a top plan view of a modified form of cleaning device, andv Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the structure of Fig. 2. i z

Referring particularly to Fig. 1 01' the drawing 15 there is shown acleaning ship I, which is adapted to be brought alongside of a vessel tobe cleaned and which contains the cleaning apparatus. The I through aline .28 which communicates with the cleaning apparatus comprises acontainer 2 for cleansing liquid such as water, salt water, caustic 2osolutionor the like. Container 2 is dividedinto a receiving chamber 3and a discharging chamber 4 by means of a filtering device which extendstransversely across the container. I'he filtering device comprisesspaced plates 5 and 6 with an 25 intermediate layer oi porousmaterial Isuch as burlap, waste or the like. Plate 6 is provided with perforationsin its lower portion and plate 5 is provided with perforations in itsupper portion.

. Cleaning liquid from. thebottom or the particu- 80 .lar compartment(not shown) or the ship being cleaned and containing impurities isintroduced into chamber '3' through a hire 9 and pump Iii.

Fresh water can a branch line II, when desired. Baflle means l2 35 aredisposed in the chamber 8 adjacent the inlet.

The cleaning liquid is heated to temperatures for eflective cleaningsuch as, for example, 150 to 180 E. or higher by means of a suitableheating medium, passed through coils I4. I! desired,40steamcanbeiniectedintothe1lquid. l

The mixture or cleaning liquid and oil or other impurity introduced intochamber 8 is permitted to stratiiy with the oil forming a layer upon thesurface of the water. A discharge line 15 is pro- 45 vided having atunnel shaped inlet l5 opening into he pper portion of chamber 3 bymeans which :the surface layer oi. oil is decanted from thewater and isdischarged into tanks l8.' The thus purified-cleanirig liquid is thenpassed .to through thefilterirrg medium into discharge chamber 4frcmQwhioh it is conducted through a discharge line l8 and pump 19.Discharge line l can communicate with a suitable cleaning machine (notshwn) through which the cleansing 5! liquid is injected into the cut tobe introduced into line 8 through cleaned; The cleansing liquid togtherwith the oil and the like removed from the walls of the compartment isreiniected through line 9 irito inlet chamber 3 where it is reheated andrecycled as above. described:

Referring particularly to Figs. 2 and 3, almodified form of the deviceis shown for cleaning tank cars, trucks, and the like. The devicecomprises a settling and heating chamber 24 into'which the cleaningliquid such as water, salt water or the 10 like, isintroduced. Theliquid is heated to ellicient cleaning temperatures such as, 150 to 180"F. or higher by means of a suitable heating medium passed through coils25. .I! desired steam can be injected directly into the liquid. Thecleaning water is withdrawn from the tank able cleaning machine 30through which the cleaning water is injected into a tank car 3| or otherarticle to be cleaned. Line is supported 25 by a suit ble frame work 32.The hot water strikes the inner sides or the tank car and washes the oiland other formed material from the walls thereoi and is dischargedthrough outlet 33 into a basin 35. A line 38 connects basin 55 withchamber 24 to introduce the oil contaminated wash water into thechamber. A weir 48 is provided in basin in'positioh to prevent thepassage 01 scale orother solid material into;line 35. The oil and waterstratify in'chamber 24 and the 35 oil is pernilttedjtd drain from thechamben through a line 39 to a ditch 45. The wash water is reheated inchamber 24 and is recycled as has been described. Fresh water can beintroduced into the system as required through a line 42. A 40- thepartially cooled used, liquid to its initial temperature. I Variouschanges may bemade within the scope of the appended claim inwhich itisdesired to M 2,018,757 claim all novelty inherent in the invention ashigh; plate adjoining the discharge chamber havbroadly as the prior artpermits. ing perforations in its upper portion, 'a common I claim: meansfor introducing the used wash liquid and A: device for revivitying andrenewing fresh teed intothe settling chamber, means to 5 wash liquid,comprisingacontainer, a filter mass, heat the contents thereof and meansfor witha pair 01 vertical baiiie plates, confining the filter drawing apart of the upper portion of such con- 5 mass and forming areceivingandsettling chamtents to collecting tanks, an outlet in the dis-- be? us did t n n 1 the con-l charge chamber to, withdraw the revivifled and m r11 w y smaller discharge renewed wash liquid "and means for delivering7, chamber at the other end of the container, the said liquid to thepoint of use.

baflle plate adjoining the settling chamber hav- 1 10 ing perforations"i its lower portion and the AB'I'HUR B. aumnwon'm.

